INQUEST HEARS DETAILS OF HOW BOMBERS BOTCHED WARNING
Inquest hears details of how bombers botched warning
By JOHN McCUSKER
Monaghan family asks for unborn twins to be included in proceedings
THE Inquests into the deaths of 29 men, women and children caught up in the Market Street explosion have heard how telephone warnings were "totally inaccurate" and had not specified where the Real IRA bombers had abandoned their deadly cargo.
Evidence submitted on the first day of the enquiry centred on the three warning calls received in relation to the device being planted.
Witnesses included an employee from Ulster Television who took the initial call and a member of the Coleraine Samaritans organisation who logged a subsequent message warning that a 500lb bomb had been left in Omagh.
Police officers based in Belfast and Omagh on the afternoon of 15th August 1998 also gave accounts of how the warnings were passed on, leading to the evacuation of shoppers from the Courthouse area of the town.
The hearing the largest of its kind in the North went ahead despite pleas from relatives to allow them more time to examine evidence.
Prior to its commencement, solicitor Barry Fox, acting on behalf of the next of kin of Avril Monaghan and her daughter Maura, asked that the twins Mrs Monaghan had been carrying, be included in the proceedings.
Citing from the Declaration of Human Rights, Mr Fox said the lack of recognition afforded to the unborn twins had caused great upset to Mrs Monaghan's husband, Michael and other members of the family.
In reply, Coroner John Leckey said he would defer his decision on the matter until a later stage.
Six of the families concerned are representing themselves throughout the planned four-week hearing.
Michael Gallagher, who represents his late son Adrian, was also successful in his request for transcripts of the proceeds to be made available to relatives on a daily basis. He also appealed to the Coroner to allow the Inquests to have 'wider latitudes' than previous Inquests heard.
The first witness to testify was UTV programme assistant, Margaret Hall who received a call at 32 minutes past two warning that a bomb would explode in Omagh in 30 minutes.
The male caller, she recalled, had appeared slightly nervous and spoke in what she termed a Northern country accent. He told her "There's a bomb, courthouse, Omagh, main street, 500lbs, explosion 30 minutes."
The caller issued the codeword 'Martha Pope' and referred to the organisation Oglaigh na hEireann. The phone then went dead and Ms Hall immediately telephoned 999 and relayed the message to police.
Moments later as she finished talking to an RUC officer a further call came through from a person she believed to be the original caller. This time the caller warned the bomb would explode in 15 minutes.
The witness told the Coroner that the man had a 'thick' accent which was difficult to make out. She believed he may have been covering the phone's mouthpiece as his voice sounded muffled. The second call was on the line while she was still talking to police, witness added.
In reply to a query from Michael Mansfield QC, representing next of kin of Elizabeth Rush, Ms Hall said she had not been informed of any procedure in dealing with codewords. And when asked by solicitor Barry Fox whether she believed the bomb warning given referred to 'near the courthouse in Omagh town centre,' witness agreed.
Ms Hall appeared distressed as she left the witness stand.
Relatives of those who died listened intently as RUC Constable George Mullan, who was based at Castlereagh control room, described how the codeword Martha Pope 'rang bells' with him. The same code had been issued by those who detonated a bomb in the centre of Banbridge two weeks previously.
Constable Mullan testified that he received a call from the UTV source warning that a bomb would explode in 30 minutes. He immediately contacted officers at Omagh before logging his call.
A handwritten transcript presented before the court, recorded that the constable had noted bomb in Omagh main street, near Courthouse, 500lb, going off in 30 minutes.
Mr Leckey said he believed police at Omagh had difficulty establishing the location of the device, to which Constable Mullan agreed that the warning was totally inaccurate and not specific as to where the bomb actually was.
Mr Fox: "As far as you were aware, the bomb was at Omagh's main street?"
Constable Mullan: "That is correct. I was told quite categorically the bomb was in main street, near the Courthouse."
Anonymity was granted to witness 'Hilary Unknown' from the Samaritans branch in Coleraine, who gave evidence screened from public view.
She testified to receiving a call from a man asking 'Am I through to Omagh?' to which she replied 'No.' He went on to state that a bomb would go off in Omagh in 30 mins.
She asked for a codeword but despite the fact that the caller repeated the word three times she could still not understand. She then asked him to spell the codeword. The caller's message stated: Main street, about 200 yards from the court house, High street, Main street.
The witness who was manning the phones alone said the caller appeared to have a gentle voice neither old or young, with no distinct accent evident. Her phone did not have the 1471 call facility, she added, so she had no way of tracing the incoming call herself.
Witness went on to state that if the caller had dialled the samaritans number in Coleraine, he would have got through to her. Alternatively, if he had rung the organisations central number, the call would have automatically been put through to her desk. Another possibility was that he may have rung the Omagh office and as the Coleriane office covers for the Omagh office until 2pm on a Saturday the call may have been automatically diverted.
The Samaritan witness confirmed that she believed the bomb had been planted 200 yards from the Court House and not actually at the Court House itself.
"I was not told the bomb was at the Court House I was told it was 200 yards from the Court House," she said.
Constable William Hall, Duty Officer at the Omagh RUC station that day, told the Inquest that he believed the message he received referred to a bomb at the Court House. In a message jotted in his note book, which was shown to the court, Constable Hall had written notes relating to the bomb warning he had recieved from the Constable Mullan in Belfast. It read: A Div., UTV, main street, court, 500, Martha Pope."
In turn , he immediately relayed the message to the Communications Room at Omagh RUC station.
"I took it the Courthouse was the target. I don't recall receiving any distance from the Courthouse," he told the Coroner.
Pressed by Micheal Mansfield QC, witness said he had not been aware of any policy meetings within the station outlining pre-prepared plans to deal with such situations. Neither was he aware of what resources or facilities were available to deal with bomb warnings.
When asked by Mr Fox if he had been aware of the significance of the codeword, or, if he was,whether he would have rung Belfast again for further information, the constable said all bomb warnings were, treated as genuine until proven otherwise.
"When the Courthouse was mentioned, I thought that was the target ," Constable Hall added.
By JOHN McCUSKER
Monaghan family asks for unborn twins to be included in proceedings
THE Inquests into the deaths of 29 men, women and children caught up in the Market Street explosion have heard how telephone warnings were "totally inaccurate" and had not specified where the Real IRA bombers had abandoned their deadly cargo.
Evidence submitted on the first day of the enquiry centred on the three warning calls received in relation to the device being planted.
Witnesses included an employee from Ulster Television who took the initial call and a member of the Coleraine Samaritans organisation who logged a subsequent message warning that a 500lb bomb had been left in Omagh.
Police officers based in Belfast and Omagh on the afternoon of 15th August 1998 also gave accounts of how the warnings were passed on, leading to the evacuation of shoppers from the Courthouse area of the town.
The hearing the largest of its kind in the North went ahead despite pleas from relatives to allow them more time to examine evidence.
Prior to its commencement, solicitor Barry Fox, acting on behalf of the next of kin of Avril Monaghan and her daughter Maura, asked that the twins Mrs Monaghan had been carrying, be included in the proceedings.
Citing from the Declaration of Human Rights, Mr Fox said the lack of recognition afforded to the unborn twins had caused great upset to Mrs Monaghan's husband, Michael and other members of the family.
In reply, Coroner John Leckey said he would defer his decision on the matter until a later stage.
Six of the families concerned are representing themselves throughout the planned four-week hearing.
Michael Gallagher, who represents his late son Adrian, was also successful in his request for transcripts of the proceeds to be made available to relatives on a daily basis. He also appealed to the Coroner to allow the Inquests to have 'wider latitudes' than previous Inquests heard.
The first witness to testify was UTV programme assistant, Margaret Hall who received a call at 32 minutes past two warning that a bomb would explode in Omagh in 30 minutes.
The male caller, she recalled, had appeared slightly nervous and spoke in what she termed a Northern country accent. He told her "There's a bomb, courthouse, Omagh, main street, 500lbs, explosion 30 minutes."
The caller issued the codeword 'Martha Pope' and referred to the organisation Oglaigh na hEireann. The phone then went dead and Ms Hall immediately telephoned 999 and relayed the message to police.
Moments later as she finished talking to an RUC officer a further call came through from a person she believed to be the original caller. This time the caller warned the bomb would explode in 15 minutes.
The witness told the Coroner that the man had a 'thick' accent which was difficult to make out. She believed he may have been covering the phone's mouthpiece as his voice sounded muffled. The second call was on the line while she was still talking to police, witness added.
In reply to a query from Michael Mansfield QC, representing next of kin of Elizabeth Rush, Ms Hall said she had not been informed of any procedure in dealing with codewords. And when asked by solicitor Barry Fox whether she believed the bomb warning given referred to 'near the courthouse in Omagh town centre,' witness agreed.
Ms Hall appeared distressed as she left the witness stand.
Relatives of those who died listened intently as RUC Constable George Mullan, who was based at Castlereagh control room, described how the codeword Martha Pope 'rang bells' with him. The same code had been issued by those who detonated a bomb in the centre of Banbridge two weeks previously.
Constable Mullan testified that he received a call from the UTV source warning that a bomb would explode in 30 minutes. He immediately contacted officers at Omagh before logging his call.
A handwritten transcript presented before the court, recorded that the constable had noted bomb in Omagh main street, near Courthouse, 500lb, going off in 30 minutes.
Mr Leckey said he believed police at Omagh had difficulty establishing the location of the device, to which Constable Mullan agreed that the warning was totally inaccurate and not specific as to where the bomb actually was.
Mr Fox: "As far as you were aware, the bomb was at Omagh's main street?"
Constable Mullan: "That is correct. I was told quite categorically the bomb was in main street, near the Courthouse."
Anonymity was granted to witness 'Hilary Unknown' from the Samaritans branch in Coleraine, who gave evidence screened from public view.
She testified to receiving a call from a man asking 'Am I through to Omagh?' to which she replied 'No.' He went on to state that a bomb would go off in Omagh in 30 mins.
She asked for a codeword but despite the fact that the caller repeated the word three times she could still not understand. She then asked him to spell the codeword. The caller's message stated: Main street, about 200 yards from the court house, High street, Main street.
The witness who was manning the phones alone said the caller appeared to have a gentle voice neither old or young, with no distinct accent evident. Her phone did not have the 1471 call facility, she added, so she had no way of tracing the incoming call herself.
Witness went on to state that if the caller had dialled the samaritans number in Coleraine, he would have got through to her. Alternatively, if he had rung the organisations central number, the call would have automatically been put through to her desk. Another possibility was that he may have rung the Omagh office and as the Coleriane office covers for the Omagh office until 2pm on a Saturday the call may have been automatically diverted.
The Samaritan witness confirmed that she believed the bomb had been planted 200 yards from the Court House and not actually at the Court House itself.
"I was not told the bomb was at the Court House I was told it was 200 yards from the Court House," she said.
Constable William Hall, Duty Officer at the Omagh RUC station that day, told the Inquest that he believed the message he received referred to a bomb at the Court House. In a message jotted in his note book, which was shown to the court, Constable Hall had written notes relating to the bomb warning he had recieved from the Constable Mullan in Belfast. It read: A Div., UTV, main street, court, 500, Martha Pope."
In turn , he immediately relayed the message to the Communications Room at Omagh RUC station.
"I took it the Courthouse was the target. I don't recall receiving any distance from the Courthouse," he told the Coroner.
Pressed by Micheal Mansfield QC, witness said he had not been aware of any policy meetings within the station outlining pre-prepared plans to deal with such situations. Neither was he aware of what resources or facilities were available to deal with bomb warnings.
When asked by Mr Fox if he had been aware of the significance of the codeword, or, if he was,whether he would have rung Belfast again for further information, the constable said all bomb warnings were, treated as genuine until proven otherwise.
"When the Courthouse was mentioned, I thought that was the target ," Constable Hall added.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1433
Published Date: 07-Sep-00
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